Open-angle glaucoma and the risk of erectile dysfunction: a population-based case-control study.

PURPOSE

Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is associated with systemic metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, and both share common risk factors with erectile dysfunction (ED). However, few studies have investigated the association of ED with OAG. This study aimed to estimate the association of ED with prior OAG by using a nationwide, population-based data with a retrospective case-control cohort design in Taiwan.

DESIGN

Age-matched case-control study.

PARTICIPANTS AND CONTROLS

We identified 4605 patients with ED as the cases and randomly selected 23 025 subjects as the controls (5 controls to 1 case).

METHODS

We used conditional logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of having previously been diagnosed with OAG according to the presence/absence of ED after adjusting for patient's monthly income, geographical location, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and alcohol abuse.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We identified OAG cases not only based on an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code, but also by the prescription of topical antiglaucoma medication.

RESULTS

In total, prior OAG was found among 137 subjects (0.5 %); 53 individuals (1.1% of the ED patients) from the cases and 84 individuals (0.4% of patients without ED) from the controls. Conditional logistic regression analysis demonstrated that, after adjusting for potential confounders, patients with ED were more likely to have prior OAG than controls (odds ratio, 2.85; 95% confidence interval, 2.10-4.07).

CONCLUSIONS

This study identifies a novel association between ED and prior OAG.